A Love Unexpected
by Anatidaephobia81
Summary: [NaruSaku] As Sakura gets older, the love she holds for Sasuke fades...and her love for Naruto grows. Great ending! Please review!


A Love Unexpected

She had never expected it. Nobody had. She was the fangirl. He was the outcast.

It was only natural that she would fall for the prodigy. And she did.

But things change….

* * *

Haruno Sakura Age 13

"Sasuke-Kun! Date Me!" squealed the over enthusiastic female of team seven.

The said boy looked at her, the girlish smile of hers, to the blonde boy behind her. He saw the blonde boy flinch, closing his eyes for a second then opening them for the young Uchiha to see the blonde boys saddened eyes.

It was only a moment, but that said blonde boy looked as if he was going to cry. And the said Uchiha had seen it. And that was enough for the said boy to decline.

"No Thanks." He never really liked hurting the blonde boys feelings in such a manner. Nor did like to hurt the pink haired girl beside him, but he knew that it was for the better.

Sakura looked at him sadly, Sasuke knew that she wanted him to date her. Sasuke looked over to Naruto, noting how the boy was now looking at him with something between hope and sadness.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, would you like to go with me to get some ramen?" came the soft voice of one Uzumaki Naruto.

Sakura, who seemed to have just noticed his presence looked at him and yelled and obnoxious, "NO YOU LOSER!" before walking off to her house. Leaving the blonde boy by himself he left with a heavy heart and sad eyes.

"Maybe next time then," he whispered to himself.

* * *

Haruno Sakura Age 14

Cherry blossoms were floating on the bridge that the old team seven used to meet at. Now, only two members stood there. One in their saddened solitude, the other in painful loneliness.

Naruto looked over to his teammate, her short pink hair held back by her headband. He sighed; she had been so withdrawn from him ever since that day. The day or night rather that the third member of team seven left Konoha for power.

Sasuke. The one person that Sakura had professed her love to, and the one person that left her sleeping alone and cold on a hard stone bench.

Naruto, hesitant with his actions walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She in turn, looked at him in the eyes. He smiled softly, and for the first time since Sasuke left four months ago, she smiled.

Then she did something unexpected.

She hugged him.

Putting her arms around him neck and holding close to her person she let out a few tears. Naruto gently put his arms around her waist and rubbed soft circles on her back to comfort and calm the crying girl in his arms.

For the first time in a long time, the blonde boy smiled happily as the girl in his arms murmured his name and held onto him closer.

"Don't leave me Naruto,"

* * *

Haruno Sakura Age 15

She had not thought too much too it at the time. Naruto leaving for his training that is. He had promised her that he would be coming back home to her no matter what.

That had been a year ago, when he first left her to train with his new sensei. At first, she was happy that he was going to fulfill his dream of becoming stronger. But, she could not understand the feeling deep within herself, a longing perhaps? When she watched him leave.

She had not seen him since then, the only communication between them, was the letters that she had gotten from him every couple of months. But still, she could not write him back due to the fact that he was ever roaming the earth, training and searching.

She had known the feelings for Sasuke were completely different from the ones she held for Naruto, yet in a strange way, she was happy for that.

She loved Sasuke…in a way still yes. But Naruto…

Naruto…. He held a place deep in her heart that nobody else held.

Unconditional love.

He could do anything, fart in front of her-he already did that twice- or have to ask some odd question about girls and the ever-dreaded period. It did not matter to her what he would do, because she would unconditionally love him just as he is.

But, the same question popped in her head…

Did she love Naruto…or Sasuke?

That she never knew if she could answer.

* * *

Haruno Sakura Age 16

"C'mon! You know that you want to! Please!" came the matured voice of one Uzumaki Naruto.

Haruno Sakura smile at him, his puppy dog –or in this case fluffy fox-eyes and hands up in front of him, she could not deny him. She did care about him.

"Okay, you can stay the night. Just don't eat all of my ramen." She giggled as he put on a look of innocence.

"It was the dark figure in the corner who stole your ramen and ate it! I swear!"

The two of them laughed good-heartedly. Naruto had just returned two weeks prior from him three year long training with his sensei, Jiraiya.

Sakura smiled at him as he snuggled on her couch in her apartment, she sat down beside the young blonde and ruffled his messy hair. He smirked at her, then leaned his muscular body over and 'accidentally' fell on top of her.

The two of them playfully wrestled, Naruto coming out the victor. Sakura had pouted at losing to him, he smiled back and pulled her to sit on his lap. She blinked her eyes for a second, and then snuggled into a comfortable position on his lap. With his arms around her, she sighed in content, happy that she had her most important person with her.

Naruto laid his head on hers, inhaling her unique scent. He felt her head move and she looked up at him. He looked down at her and gave Sakura one of his breath-taking smiles.

She in turn, smiled back and leaned up…

Doing something un-Sakura-like..

She kissed him.

* * *

Haruno Sakura Age 17

Sakura ran around the hospital, her uniform ruffling as she ran to the destined room.

As she threw the door open she ran to the bed in the corner and out of breath she stared at the man occupying it.

Naruto.

She stared down at his resting form, with bandages everywhere on him she gasped. She did not think that he had been to badly injured on his mission. But…. he did bring back Him.

Uchiha Sasuke.

She did not know all of the facts but what she did know was that Naruto had somehow managed to bring back the traitor of Konoha, but was injured in the process. She walked over to his bedside, completely unaware of the other person occupying the bed to her right.

She sat down beside him, and let a hand caress his face. He groaned, and she felt a jolt of pain go through her. She leaned down, puckering her pink lips…. but stopped short of kissing her boyfriend when she heard her name.

"Sakura?"

She, with wide eyes looked over to see non other than the traitor himself. Uchiha Sasuke sat there in the bed, bandages covering his arms, along with the chakra bindings put on him by the Hokage herself.

She felt a tear come up to her eye, but quickly pushed it away and looked down at her boyfriend, Naruto. She felt a jolt of anger go through her, and on impulse jumped up and slapped the Uchiha.

His eyes widened and looked up at her. She let the tears fall down her face; everything was getting to be too much…

"Four years, four years you were gone. And now…the first time that I see you…it has to be after you beat the _shit_ out of _my boyfriend?_ How dare you! You asshole! Naruto never hurt you! And this is how you repay him? You self-"

Her rant was cut short as the groan of her Naruto stopped her. She looked back to him, just to see him look at her and try to sit up.

"Sak…" was all that he could get out of his mouth. She hurriedly went to him, resting her body by his bedside.

She pulled his hands into her own, kissing his knuckles and letting her tears fall even faster down her cheeks. He smiled weakly to her, and pulled her closer. The two of them completely unaware of the young Uchiha watching their every move with wide eyes.

Naruto kissed her lips gently, and whispered, "Don't hate him…he saved me from the snake…pedophile…"

Sakura looked at him and nodded, she kissed his lips once more, letting herself fall into the warmth that was her Naruto. She stayed in his embrace, his loving arms until he fell asleep.

Before she left, she kissed his forehead and whispered a soft goodbye and walked out of the door.

* * *

Haruno Sakura Age 18

"You really should just stay with me…you know that you want to." whispered Sakura into her loves ear. Naruto turned his head and looked her in the eyes.

He chuckled at her, and kissed her lips holding her body close to his. He was leaving for a two week long mission and Sakura did not want him to go. Pulling away from the kiss he smiled and whispered, "Just two weeks. Plus…when I get back I promise to take you out and we will do anything that you want to, baby."

She smiled at him, kissing him once more and telling him that she loved him she watched him jump off into the forest…leaving her alone for two whole weeks.

She sighed, looking over she saw her other teammate and ex-love, Uchiha Sasuke. He looked at her and motioned over to his house's direction. She smiled and walked with him. Letting his silence comfort her for what she knew what was to come.

As the two of them sat down in his living room Sakura sighed, she knew this conversation would come up sooner or later. Everyone else had talked to her and Naruto of their decision.

Sasuke looked at her, looked down at her hand then up at her face once again. "Do you know what you are getting yourself into?"

Sakura smiled and said, "More than anything." He nodded to her.

"Do you love him, just as much as he loves you?" he asked her.

She smiled at him, "More than he loves me…and more." She giggled…she felt like a little girl who had just gotten her first doll.

Sasuke sighed, smiled, then replied, "Then… I guess I have no problem with your decision. But I better be the best man at your wedding."

She smiled and giggled, pulling her best friend into a friendly hug and started to cry tears of joy. Looking over his shoulder to her hand, she smiled even brighter and stared at the beautiful engagement ring that Naruto had gotten her.

* * *

Uzumaki Sakura Age 19

Sakura smiled, her husbands hands holding her as they danced together. She looked directly into his eyes, tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks.

As the dance ended she kissed her husband, telling him that she loved him. Pulling away she felt a hand fall on her shoulder, she turned around to see her friend/brother, Sasuke standing there.

She looked at Naruto's smiling face and turned to Sasuke, letting his hands encircle her body and pull her into the dance.

She rested her head on his chest, keeping her husbands form in her view. Above her, she heard Sasuke speak, "So, I guess that you are happy…right?"

She smiled, "I think that overjoyed, happy, enthusiastic, and everything else could be said. But yes, I am so very happy."

Sasuke laughed slightly, pulled his little sister closer to himself. He was happy that she had gotten over him; he never really liked her that way. He cared about her more like a brother would a sister.

"I guess…" he started, "You could call this **A Love Unexpected**."

Sakura smiled, seeing her love, her husband smile and laugh with his new father-in-law and whispered, "Yep….** A Love Unexpected**."

* * *

Okay, just bare with me here. I really like this couple. Plus, I think that they could get together in the series. And yes, I do know that I did mess up some things with the whole Naruto timeline. But hey! I think I did really well on this story!

My main goal was to go through the stages of Sakura's life with Naruto. I think that it came out well. If you have any questions…. just pm me.

Please review!

ME. NO. OWN. NARUTO.


End file.
